It’s been over twenty five years since Lamb of God burst onto the scene. Riding high on the the new wave of American heavy metal. Helping define the genre with albums like New American Gospel and Sacrament. They’ve been nothing but consistent since too. And not just when it comes to tearing the roof off any venue they call home either. They also boast a back catalogue that to this day remains near flawless. Of course, there are some fans will argue the merits of their earlier work. Or fight for their favourite album. By any realistic metric though, the Virginia natives have never released a “bad” record.
A fact which makes their tenth album, the aptly titled Into Oblivion, all the more enticing. We say aptly titled, because simply looking at the state of the world around us, it shouldn’t be too hard to decipher where they’re drawing inspiration from. Afterall, global upheaval, a war for oil, a questionable President… You could copy and paste the same headlines that inspired Redneck and stoked the furnaces that fuelled Ashes of the Wake into 2026 and they’d fit right in.
As soon as you hit play, Into Oblivion’s title track leaves you under no illusions you’re listening to anything other than Lamb of God. The dissonant chord structures, rolling pentatonic riffs and signature swagger are all present and correct. Complete with a breakdown that hits like a fully loaded freight train. Close your eyes, ignore the recent logo update and it’s a song that would sit comfortably on the tracklist of Wrath or Sacrament. Making it an ideal opening gambit and an easy introduction to the record for fans both old and new.
For those of us that are old enough to remember Lamb of Gods early days. It’s follow up track, Parasocial Christ that really raises our eyebrows. Coming screaming out of the gate, brimming with the same chaotic energy that underpinned every minute of New American Gospel. Packing a guitar solo straight out of Kerry King’s tribal trick bag. It reminds us of a version of the band we haven’t heard for some time. Unyielding, ferocious and unapologetically old school. It’s almost as if you can hear them thriving upon the troubled times of today. Refocused, rearmed and ready to hurl vitriolic bile at anyone willing to stand in their way.
The raised eyebrows don’t stop there either. While they’ve never been a band to shy away from experimentation, Sepsis in particular really stands out from the pack. Driven by John Campbells thunderous distorted bass playing, it sounds almost industrial. Especially combined with some spoken word verses from vocalist Randy Blythe. Who does away with his usual grit in favour of a more haunting approach until the song reaches its inevitable, crushing crescendo. Taking an interesting step in a new direction that offsets Into Oblivions more traditional fare nicely. Adding another colour to their palette and a little variety into the mix.
Speaking of the mix, you might not hear it immediately but long time producer and unofficial sixth member, Josh Wilbur has really excelled himself with the production of Into Obilvion. Which manages to be just raw enough to evoke memories of Burn the Priest. While also capturing the clean refrains and melodic moments of tracks like El Vacio beautifully. Giving every song plenty of room to breathe and bolstering the impact of Art Cruz’s phenommenal drumming.
After a blinding opening one-two punch. Followed by the slightly more offbeat, downtempo hammer blows of Sepsis and El Vacio. Lamb of God kick things into high gear in the second half of Into Oblivion. Refusing to take their feet off the gas until they make it across the finish line.
There’s St Catherines Wheel, a ruinous thrash inspired speedball of a track that’s sure to stir mosh pits into action. Followed by the chugging right hook of Blunt Force Blues, which more than lives up to its name. Then, just in case you hadn’t noticed that they aren’t happy about the state of affairs in The Whitehouse right now. There’s Bully. Which, between the title and Blythes seething delivery of lyrics like – “Incite a massacre, to game the system for your grift. A poisoned legacy spawned another nepotist”, hits every bit as hard politically as it does musically.
Into Obivion’s finale, Devise/Destroy is no shrinking violet either. Starting off with a delicate arppegio that quickly evolves into a chunky palm muted groove. All topped off with a simple but catchy hook that’s bound to make it a fan favourite in the years to come. Ensuring the albums final knockout blow lands with calculated precision. Leaving you reeling as it comes to an end.
While we stand by our earlier statement that Lamb of God have never released a bad album. Into Oblivion is arguably their strongest effort for some time. It’s a more focused record than Sturm und Drang or Omens. Packs more punch than just about anything they’ve released since Resolution and stands comfortably among their best work to date. Like a diamond forged under extreme pressure, Lamb of God have distilled every ounce of their anger and discontent with Into Oblivion. Serving up an album that’s both a modern metal masterpiece and a scathing indictment of the machine they’ve always raged against.
Into Oblivion is available to stream as well as buy now on CD & Vinyl via Century Media and Epic Records.
Currently out on the road spreading their brand of whiplash across North America. Lamb of God will be returning to the UK this August. Where the band are set to headline Friday night at this years Bloodstock Festival. For tickets and more information on Lamb of God, you can head over to the bands official website. Or, give them a follow on social media to stay up to date with any forthcoming announcements.
